Tales of the Kenshin Gumi 1: Sanosuke's Lost Coat
by gip-k
Summary: (COMPLETED) When Sanosuke's beloved coat goes missing, lots of funny things can happen! Can he find it before he goes fully insane? Rated PG for a bit of language (mostly censored).
1. Chapter 1

Sentiments of **gip-k: **-Heyo, everybody! ^_^ It's me, gip-k, speaking to ya! I surely hope you've enjoyed previous stories! Welcome to the first episode of the **Tales of the Kenshin Gumi **Series! This one is called "Sanosuke's Lost Coat" and I hope you enjoy it. ^_~ And please remember that Yahiko's _alive _in this story. (YAY) I know many of you missed him, and I did, too! So let's all have fun reading about him, and all the other members of the Kenshin Gumi. Misao will be in these stories, as will Aoshi. This series is set… after all the bad guys are gone in Rurouni Kenshin? Oh, DAMN! (screams) I really wish I'd gotten to see more of Rurouni Kenshin. T_T This SO does not help my writing. 

Well, enough. Time to write (starts typing)! ^_^

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. T_T Well if I owned it I'd get to watch it everyday. WAAH! (Cries more) 

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---Sanosuke's Lost Coat: Chapter 1---

Sanosuke rolled off his futon, moaning groggily and cursing the blinding sun for glaring down on him with its burning rays, scorching his skin and breaking his pattern of sleep. He rolled into a tin can that he'd left on the ground, and cursed that, too. Finally, he dared to open his eyes, prepared for the unbearable white glare that unmercifully attacked his gold-brown eyes. In his blindness, he stretched out his arm, fumbling around with stiff fingers for his white coat, which he'd hung on the end of the chair. He knocked something down from the table, and then… ah-huh! His fingers felt along the chair. He could see a little bit now, and he was trying to stop squinting… 

"What?" Sanosuke said groggily. He finally got up from his place on the ground and a pain short through his neck up to his head. He moaned and cursed more. He shook his head to clear it, and then stretched out. By that time, his vision was fully clear, and the ache in his head was gone. His squeezed his knuckles, satisfied at the cracking sound and the little _click _feeling that assured him that they were all unlocked and ready to rumble. Now what was he looking for? He reached down to grab his jacket from the chair, heading for the store, when he realized that his coat wasn't there. 

"What the hell -?" He turned on his heels, and looked down at his chair. "Hey -!" Sanosuke's stared at the chair in disbelief, then just as quickly started rummaging through his already junky apartments to find it. "It has to be here…" He tossed away some old smelly underwear, and some half-eaten dumplings and old paper. "…no thief could have ever made their way in here without me knowing and if they did, I would…" Sanosuke didn't finish, just continued searching. "Hn, that's weird." 

After he'd been searching for a good twenty minutes he decided to quit. 

"Well," Sanosuke said. He scratched his head. "I guess I must of left it at Kaoru's place. Well, I guess I should go to the Kamiya Dojo." He smiled. "I'm kind of hungry, anyway," he chuckled. "And maybe the little missy will let me borrow some money." 

So with that, Sanosuke headed out down from his apartments, and hurried down to the Kamiya Dojo. 

* * *

Finally, Sanosuke arrived, just in time to see apprentice, Yahiko Myoujin, and teacher, Kaoru Kamiya, engaged in verbal warfare. They were getting close to the physical stage, as well. An involuntary grin crept unto Sanosuke's face. 

"I told you to knock on the door before you came bursting in, you little pervert!" Kaoru said, darkly beautiful eyes flashing down at Yahiko like hot coals. "That's what an _real_ gentleman would do!" 

"Well if you didn't make a habit of taking so long to get dressed all the time, you'd already be done by the time I got in!" Yahiko shot back, glaring up at Kaoru with pure indignation in his reddish brown eyes. "And did you say _gentleman_? I'm no gentleman, you stupid hag! I'm a fighter!" 

"No, you're an insubordinate little punk and I swear that if you keep on as you are you'll _never _become a true swordsman!" Sanosuke could swear that he saw steam coming out of Kaoru's ears. "They have _honor_!" 

"What's that got to do with anything?" Yahiko demanded irritably. 

Kaoru was just about to descend on Yahiko like dark storm cloud when Sanosuke interrupted by loudly clearing his throat. 

"Ah-hem?" he said. 

The two turned their heads to him in anger and astonishment, then cooled down a little bit. 

"Sanosuke what are you -?" Kaoru began, barely concealing her obvious distaste for his sudden and sharp interruption of the argument ensuing between she and her student. 

"Hey, that's no way to welcome your friends, little missy," Sanosuke replied with a small smirk. 

Kaoru let out a loud "humph!" and then folded her arms in front of her chests, looking at him crossly. 

"All right, then, what do you want?" she asked a bit snappishly, still struggling to get her ugly mood under control. 

"He probably just wants to get something to eat," Yahiko said. "Lazy fool…" He began to walk away, shinai slung across his back.

"Hey, who the **** are you calling a lazy fool?" Sanosuke demanded. 

"You," Yahiko said, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Sano. "And I'm also calling you an idiot. Happy now?" Yahiko added a touch of irony to his voice, and looked darkly at Sanosuke for emphasis. He turned back around and stiffly began walking off. "I'm off to go practice." 

Sanosuke glared at the little punk's back, and to his faint surprise, so did Kaoru. 

"Stupid little ill-mannered brat," she muttered under her breath. Then her gaze turned back to Sanosuke. 

"So, what are you doing here anyway?" Kaoru asked, finally starting to sound conversational. "I wasn't expecting you, I admit. It's kind of early and of course…" her voice trailed off as though she was thinking, and then her eyes narrowed. "You didn't _really _come here because of that reason Yahiko gave, did you?" 

At that very moment, Sanosuke's stomach decided to let out a loud growl. Sanosuke grimaced with the sudden remembrance that he hadn't had anything to eat, but instead, placed his clenched fists inside the pockets of his trousers. 

"Well, not exactly," he replied. He found an old fishbone hanging out in his pocket, and decided to stick it in his mouth, turning it over around in his teeth. One of Kaoru's brows raised quizzically and Sanosuke continued. "I'm actually over here looking for my coat. Seen it around here anywhere?" 

"I…" Kaoru began, putting a finger to her lips in thought. "…Don't think so," she said finally. She looked at Sanosuke intently. "Are you certain you didn't leave it in your… _apartments? _I'm willing to bet anything they're quite a hell of a mess, if I know you at all." She said that a bit bitingly, as if boasting about her own neatness and cleanliness. 

"Do you actually think -?" Sanosuke snapped his mouth shut. His stomach suddenly growled again. "Well, I am kind of hungry, I guess, since you _mentioned it and all_." He grinned at Kaoru. 

Kaoru's face brightened a bit at that, and her eyes gleamed. 

"I never thought I'd see the day you actually _asked _me before eating me out of house and home," Kaoru said that a bit dryly. "But sure, I guess you can eat your fill. Just let me go wash up and get out of this gi and hakama, and I'll be right with you, all right?" 

"Right," Sanosuke said. Kaoru began to walk away, when suddenly Sanosuke remembered something, and called back after her. She turned to face him again. 

"Oh, and where's Kenshin, anyway?" Sanosuke asked. His eyes scanned the dojo for any sign of the former Hitokiri. 

"He's out back washing some clothes," Kaoru replied. Then suddenly, her face brightened as though she was hit with some sudden new realization. "Hey! That might be it- maybe your coat got mixed up with some of my laundry. Maybe Kenshin came across it." 

"Yeah, probably," Sanosuke replied, finally starting to feel a little happier. "I'll go and find him. You hurry and get your bath so I can eat." 

Kaoru did not look too pleased at being bossed around, but she just nodded at Sanosuke and hurried off to get cleaned up. Sanosuke, however, went out back to find Kenshin. 

He walked past Yahiko's training yard, where the boy was slashing and swishing his sword through the air, letting out an emphatic "ha!" every time he brought it down. Yahiko was concentrating very hard on his practicing, but he did stop for a moment to glance at Sanosuke. Or rather, _glared _at him. Sanosuke's amusement was aroused, and he decided to stop for a moment to take a few free hits at the hotheaded youth. Yahiko noticed his teasing smirk, and looked at him spitefully. 

"Don't come close, rooster head," Yahiko said warningly. He began his practicing anew. "Or I swear I'm gonna hit you."

"What did I do?" 

Yahiko flipped around, glaring at him, snarling. 

"You ate all the fish last time you came!" 

Sanosuke bursts out into purposely mocking laughter. 

"Oh come on-" he said teasingly. "You're not still mad at me about that, are ya, kid?" 

"How many times do I have to tell people I'm not a kid!" Yahiko said, his anger flaring. "And leave me alone! You ate all the fish last time, and me and Kenshin caught all that fish, when you didn't work _at all!_" 

"_So?_" Sanosuke asked. The brat was beginning to irritate him. "I don't think you work all that much when I see you stuffing your mouth at Kaoru's table." 

"Yes I _do!_" Yahiko retorted. He brought down his sword, but the slash was unsteady. Sanosuke took as a new opportunity to strike.

"Your slash was unsteady," he said. 

"First you sound like a bloody idiot, now you sound like that hag!" Yahiko said angrily. "Why don't you just leave me _alone?_"

"You are alone," Sanosuke said shortly. "I don't see anyone else in the training field with you." 

Yahiko let out an indignant cry and threw his shinai at Sanosuke, who dodged it easily. 

"Missed me," Sanosuke said with a small smirk. Then he decided to add something else at the last minute. "Brat." 

Yahiko's nerves refused to take anymore of it. He shouted a raging torrent of curses at Sanosuke, who pretended to ignore him, whistling quite conspicuously. Finally, Kaoru yelled out from the shower that she was going to wash Yahiko's mouth with soap if he did not shut the hell up and start training. Yahiko looked sullen, but stalked over to the place where he'd thrown his shinai- right past where Sano was standing- then retrieved it, remembering to give Sanosuke a good slash across the shoulders with it before continuing his training. 

"Yeesh," Sanosuke said, grimacing. "Some people have problems."

Then he suddenly realized he was wasting a good deal of time tormenting the boy, and not getting any closer to seeing Kenshin. So he finally started to head out into the direction where Kenshin was. 

Kenshin did happen to be exactly "out back" in what Sanosuke called his "environment". A close line was hung between two lovely Sakura trees, and several articles of clothing were already hanging out on it to dry. It would take a while with so little breeze blowing, but the sun would be sufficient to sap the moisture from them and fill them with dry warmth. Then on the far left, was the samurai man himself, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of a large wooden bucket, the sleeves of his badly beaten and worn magenta hakama rolled up to the elbows, arms fully immersed in the warm, sudsy water. The bangs of his cherry-auburn spilling down his head, partially hiding his violet eyes, as well as the X-shaped scar on his left cheek. But a small, content, and mostly peaceful smile- a slight twist of his mouth in an upward direction- could clearly be seen. Sanosuke was a bit disgusted… how could this man, former Hitokiri Battousai, be _enjoying _washing clothes? How stupid was that? 

Sanosuke did not even have to speak to know that Kenshin knew he was there- he was just _pretending _not to see… _loving _his laundry washing. 

"Favorite past-time of the former Hitokiri Battousai," Sanosuke said dryly. "Washing clothing and doing housework."

Kenshin's head slowly rose from his work at that, and the bangs gave way, displaying perfect violet eyes and a warm smile. 

"Hello, Sano," Kenshin said in greeting. 

"Hey, Kenshin," Sanosuke said, returning the smile. "What's up? Wait no- I know. Kaoru's got you washing a bunch of clothes again… I really feel sorry for you sometimes, Kenshin. And you scare me." Sanosuke said the last part very seriously. 

Kenshin chuckled softly.

"I wouldn't want to do that, that I would not," Kenshin said, again starting to scrub one of the articles of clothing in the bucket. "It is surprising to hear you admit to fear, though, I say."

"Any more surprising than seeing you washing clothes?" Sanosuke said grimly. 

"It's not that bad, that it isn't, Sano," Kenshin said. He had just finished washing the clothing he'd been scrubbing, and was now ringing it out gently. He abruptly stood, and walked over to hand the clothing on the clothesline. "I am just helping Miss Kaoru around the house, I say. She is very busy, that she is." 

"She didn't look all that busy to me," Sanosuke replied.

Kenshin smiled, and Sanosuke knew he could read pure affection in his eyes… just for a moment, but still, obvious. 

"I'm sure you didn't just come here to speak to me about my washing clothes, did you?" Kenshin asked. 

"You're right," Sanosuke said, putting his clothes in his pockets. "I actually came here to get a good meal, and look for my coat. Seen it?" 

Kenshin's eyes showed surprise for a minute, but in the same instant it was gone. 

"I fear I haven't, I say," Kenshin said. "Erhm, uh, did you look in your quarters?" 

Sanosuke got irritated. 

"Does everyone in this place think I'm that much of an idiot?" Sanosuke snapped. "Of _course _I did!" 

"Oro!" Kenshin cried at Sanosuke's sudden outburst. "My pardons, Sano, I meant not to offend, that I did not." 

Suddenly, Kaoru was calling them all for lunch. Kenshin and Sanosuke looked at each other. Sanosuke's stomach growled again.

"Hungry, Sano?" Kenshin asked. 

"Definitely," Sanosuke replied. "The little missy's cooking really sucks, but I guess it's better than an empty stomach." He grimaced at that.

"Well, actually, it's not Miss Kaoru's cooking for lunch today," Kenshin said. "It is mine- leftovers from a day before, I say." 

Sanosuke let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. 

"Good," Sanosuke said. "I won't have to force anything down this time." Kenshin looked abashed. Sanosuke continued. "Well, you'd better hurry up with those clothes, then, or there might not be any lunch left."

Kenshin smiled wanly. 

"My pardons, but is there _ever_?" he asked.

Sanosuke slapped Kenshin on the back, laughing heartily, and hurried to the kitchen. He'd eat, then he'd find his coat. Then it would be a great day, just like any other. 

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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Yee-haw! The first chapter is done. ^_^ I enjoyed writing it. Sorry I took so long with this story, everyone! I've been working on another one lately, an original fiction that I'm putting on **gip-k's World**, my web site! Please visit it, when you get a chance, by the way. ^_^ 

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	2. Chapter 2

Sentiments of **gip-k: **-Heyo, everybody! ^_^ Welcome to the 2nd Chapter of my little story, Episode 1 of the Tales of the Kenshin Gumi Series, **Sanosuke's Lost Coat**. Do you think Sano will find his coat, eh? And what will he do if he doesn't? 

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Sanosuke: (Squeezes his knuckles, then stretches the flexible fingers) I'll do some hurting. 

Me: (Gulps) But…I'm a _girl!_ I thought- 

Sanosuke: You thought wrong. You steal the coat, and you don't give it back- that equals a good beating. 

Me: Leave me alone! Kenshin will- will- will hurt you! 

Sanosuke: I don't care… I'll fight him, too. 

Me: You _idiot! _What is your problem? I didn't steal the coat, anyway!

(Much more arguing ensues, and finally we reach the disclaimer)

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Rurouni Kenshin TV show…but Kenshin is mine. 

Kenshin: But- I- uh- thought that you- ?

Me: O.o What was that Kenshin? 

Kenshin: Erhm, nothing. (Laughs uneasily) Sessha was just…thinking about something. 

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---Sanosuke's Lost Coat: Chapter 2---

Sanosuke hurried into the kitchen to eat lunch, Kenshin not too far behind him. Sanosuke was whistling happily to himself, until Yahiko sprinted across his path like a little feisty squirrel, bumping hard into him as he hurried past. 

"Hey what the -?"

"You'd better hurry, you moron! I'm gonna get all the fish this time!" Yahiko called back to him spitefully. 

Sanosuke cursed, and broke into a hard run, trying hard to catch up to Yahiko. He shouted angry rebukes after the boy. 

After a good bit of running, Sanosuke finally got inside of the house. He crashed into Yahiko directly as the boy abruptly stopped, right before making a sharp turn and then sliding down in front of the small table. He began immediately gorging himself, hardly taking care to stop and swallow, or drink a bit of water from a small cup. Sanosuke, angry and red face, muttering all sorts of names against the boy, also slid down at the table. Meanwhile, Kenshin was all "oro" over and over again, and Kaoru was looking on with plain outrage painted all over her face, hands on hips. Sanosuke hardly seemed to notice, but when he and Yahiko's hands reached for the same bowl…

"It's mine, you lousy bum!" Yahiko said, quickly swallowing down a mouthful of food. Sanosuke mumbled in response between his mouthful of food, tugging back violently. 

"No it's _mine _you little _punk_!" He yelled, pulling it hard. But the little brat wouldn't let go.

"Get your filthy hands off my bowl, you @$$hole!" Yahiko shouted back. 

The argument went on, and Kenshin settled down in the corner, his face the picture of pure grief and desperation. 

"It's actually _mine_."

Sanosuke, and of course Yahiko, barely had time to lift their heads in utter shock before _Kaoru _had grabbed the rice bowl, and was hugging it to herself. They stared at each other, until finally Kaoru began devouring the contents of the small bowl with as much ferocity as they would have been. Sanosuke snarled at her, glaring hard, and was joined by Yahiko. Then they looked at each other, and glared even harder, teeth bared. They didn't have to speak to know each other's words. _It was your fault… _

At that very moment, they attacked each other. Sanosuke tried pounding Yahiko's arm to a bloody pulp, but the boy climbed up behind him, and began gnawing on his head. Sanosuke cried out a bit, and then flipped the boy over his head, where he landed square on the floor. Yahiko kicked Sanosuke in the shin, and that caused a large torrent of language, and they fought harder, knocking over the table in their violent battle. They even kicked up the old dust on the floor, and soon the whole room was filled with a cloud of the stuff that made Kenshin wheeze and sneeze. The whole thing made him begin to cry to the Kami. 

* * *

"Hold, _still_," Kaoru was saying sternly to Sanosuke. 

"That stupid little s***!" Sanosuke yelled out angrily. Kaoru was bandaging his arm. "It was all his fault, the little bastard."

"Shut up!" Kaoru said in pure disgust and exasperation. "You and Yahiko ruined my kitchen, and here I am _bandaging _you! I should be kicking your butt to the blood red moons, dear _kami! _" Kaoru exclaimed. "I said hold _still _you stupid rooster head or I'll do it now!"

Sanosuke decided to obey… temporarily. He was really mad at Yahiko for causing all the trouble, though. 

Kaoru finally finished, and started bandaging his cheek. She'd done his forehead already- a ring of bandages was under his headband. Yahiko had scratched him! Stupid little-

At that moment, the little brat appeared. He had a bandage on his cheek, his nose looked a bit bloody, and his arm was in a sling. He looked positively disgusted. 

"Did I hear you saying it was _my _fault?" he demanded, injecting all the spite and contempt as was possible into his already sadistic voice. 

Sanosuke nearly attacked him again, but Kaoru whacked him across the back of the head with something. He let out a cry of pain and indignation, but then quieted down. 

"Are you done yet?" Sanosuke demanded impatiently.

"Yeah, Mr. Impatient," she said sulkily. 

"Good," he said. "Now I'm going to go, then. I've had enough of this place. Yeesh!"

Yahiko licked out his tongue at Sanosuke, and he punched the kid in the eye on his way out. He thought he heard something of the likes of "idiotic moron", just with a lot more profanity somehow squeezed in. Sanosuke paused, taking a moment to grin to himself, and then started off towards the dojo gate, a new spring in his step. 

"You really ruined Miss Kaoru's kitchen, that you did," said Kenshin with a slightly unsteady voice. "I believe she will be taking out some of her fury on me, I say."

Sanosuke turned to look at Kenshin, giving him a grin and a thumb-up. 

"Can't be that bad, shrimp," he said cheerfully. "She'll just whack you on the head with that bokken of hers a couple of times, and then everything will be okay. I'm surprised she hasn't already." 

"Oro!" Kenshin exclaimed, looking both abashed and vaguely alarmed. He rubbed his head subconsciously. "She hasn't already, my pardons, because her attention was fixated on your injuries, as well as Yahiko's, and so she has not recognized the full extent of the damage, I say. And I fear that soon she will-"

At that very moment, a large shriek erupted from the kitchen inside the house. 

"KENNNNNNNNSHINNNNNNNN! WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM FROM DOING THIS YOU DANG IDIOT YOU COULD'VE STOPPED THEM BUT INSTEAD YOU HID IN A CORNER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU _ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!_" 

Kenshin flinched, but Sanosuke jumped. They looked at each other uneasily. They heard a sound, and turned to see a plaque fall off the wall. Then they exchanged disturbed expressions. Suddenly, Sanosuke's face broke into a wide grin. 

"Sorry, won't be here to take my share of the pain, Kenshin," Sanosuke said with a wry chuckle. "I've gotta go find my coat. See you all later."

With that, Sanosuke darted out of the house, just leaving out through the gate while Kaoru descended on Kenshin like angry storm clouds. He heard a chorus of "oro" just as he rounded the corner, and had to laugh. Those three were amazing. Their behavior was beyond his comprehension. 

Then Sanosuke realized he really _did _need to find his coat. His eyes narrowed. If it wasn't at his house, and it wasn't at the Kamiya Dojo, where on _earth _was it? 

Sanosuke continued his travels through the Tokyo marketplace, keeping his eyes sharp for any suspicious persons. Suddenly, a person crashed into him. 

"Hey, watch where you're going!" he shouted angrily. 

The short plump man, obviously a butcher for his red-stained apron, stopped in his tracks, and looked up at Sanosuke with dark eyes. 

"No, you watch where _you're _going kid!" he said He emphasized each word by with a poke at Sanosuke's chest. 

"Hey, yeesh, quit with the poking!" Sanosuke retorted irritably. 

Suddenly, the man's eyes lighted up with recognition, and he went deathly white. 

"Wha- wait, you're Zanza, aren't you?" he asked. "You're that punk gangster that was always fighting in my slaughter house and knocking meat down on the dirty floor! I _know _you!" 

"Hey, I don't do that anymore," Sanosuke replied. "But ****, didn't you recognize me?" 

The man shook his head, and let out a dry chuckle. 

"No, 'didn't recognize you, Zanza-"

"-I go by the name Sano now," Sanosuke corrected him, his voice carrying a bit of irony in it. This man was definitely annoying him!

"Sano, then," the fat butcher said with a wave of his hand. "Well, as I was saying, I didn't recognize you withoutjur coat, Zan- Sano."

Sanosuke blinked. Well he hadn't known his _coat _made people recognize him. 

At that very moment a tiny old woman came running across the street in their direction. Sanosuke and the butcher turned their heads towards her. Her chest heaved from the hard running, and her breath was raspy. She clutched Sanosuke's hands in hers. 

"Hello, young man," she said. "I am so glad to find you! You're a tall one, aren't you? Well thank the Kami! I am so glad to see you! I need someone just of your sort for…"

Sanosuke was too shocked to reply. A lot of people like this lady were usually _afraid _of him, shying _away _from his presence, and here was this tiny old woman coming over here asking for his _aid? _What in the hell was going on?

"…well anyway," she rambled on, still struggling to catch her breath. "My two precious cats are trapped up in a tree! And I saw you, and I said; 'there's a strong young man to help me get my kittens!' and so I came running over here, fast as I could, and here you are! Oh _please _help me get my cats! They're my darling cats-"

"Wait a minute, lady," Sanosuke began. "You're not… _afraid?_"

"Oh, yes of course I am!" she said, putting a hand to her chest. "I'm so afraid my poor kitty-cats are going to fall from that tree and hurt their poor little selves I am horribly, horribly frightened for them!"

Sanosuke blinked a couple of times. What the _kami? _

"You need to help the old lady, Zanza," the butcher whispered to him. Then he directed a toothy, artificial smile towards the old woman. "Excuse me, Lin-san. I've got to go get back to my work." Then the butcher ran off in the other direction. 

Lin-san, as she appeared to be named, turned her attention back to Sanosuke. 

"Oh will you _please _help me?" she asked. She began to lead a now dumbfounded Sanosuke through the streets. "They're right over here, now, just a little farther!" 

Lin-san led Sanosuke through the streets of Tokyo. For such and elderly woman, the grip of her wiry, wrinkled hand was quite strong, and she kept up a good pace walking. Sanosuke didn't have to walk slowly, and her legs were about a third of the length of his! 

Finally, they made it to a luxurious mansion, gated in by black-painted iron fences, and surrounded by dozens of lovely trees. Lin-san stated that this was the mansion where she worked. 

She threaded a path through those many trees. Sanosuke followed her, half letting himself be dragged by the elderly Lin-san. At last, they began to hear the sound of frightened, frantic _meows_. Lin-san announced that they were close. 

"Ooh, kami! That tree up there!" she said, finally releasing Sano's arm and using her free hand to point up one of the taller Sakura trees. "There they are!" 

Indeed, there they were. Two cats… one was a smaller cat, with a fur of a dirty brown coloring, with an array of light gray and muddy orange threaded in between. It looked more like a stray than a housecat. The second cat was obviously a kitten, a Siamese cat basked in a coat of white fur, with a dark grayish face and cute pink nose. It was licking its paw, and Sanosuke caught sight of the small wound it was trying to nurse. 

Lin-san let out a pained moan. 

"Oh, my poor Kiki," she said when she also had seen the injury. Then she turned her eyes to the other cat and sighed. "Oh, Tulu, why did you have to climb way up there dear?"

Meanwhile, while Lin-san crooned over her poor kitties, Sanosuke was finding the best way to climb up the tree, and to get the kittens. They were obviously restless, especially "Tulu" and Kiki had an injury, which would make her very desperate and perhaps more wary. 

Finally, Sanosuke thought up a quick plan and without word began climbing up the tree. He reached for the closest branch to pull himself up. With a small leap he caught hold, and began his ascent. 

As he made his way higher into the tree, he smiled wryly. What in the world was he doing saving some lady's cats? 

"And I'm sure she wouldn't care if I fell from here- she'd just be sad about her- _cats_," he chuckled once again at that, and continued pulling himself higher up in the tree. The two cats began meowing loudly, and scowling and spitting at him. 

"Shush, shush, little girlies, it's all right," he said. "Just keep your little paws away from my face, got it? Or else there might be- trouble." The cats made even more of a fuss. Sanosuke sighed, and cursed a bit. Then he pulled himself to the other side of the tree, and decided to wait. The cats quieted down. They looked for him. Finally Lin-san began to be of some assistance. 

"Quiet down my pretties," she crooned. "Hush, hush! Mama will get you down! Be nice to the man, be nice!"

The cats turned their attention to Lin-san, and Sanosuke saw his opportunity. He crept up behind the two cats stealthily. Just as Tulu turned his head, he reached out with his hand and grabbed the skin on the back of its neck, and held it up as it kicked and spat. Just then, Kiki began scurrying up a branch, and Sanosuke let out a groan, as he had to reach unbearably far and catch it just in time before it fell the long way down the tree. He hugged the little kitten to himself. Lin-san let out a sigh of relief. Sanosuke just held the cats, "reassuring them". Finally, Tulu calmed down, and he allowed Sanosuke to carry he and Kiki down the tree. Lin-san cheered them on. 

Finally, he made it all the way down the tree. Lin-san literally grabbed the two cats away before he could hand them over to her, kissing them and cuddling them, whispering soothing words to them. They licked her face. Sanosuke felt a bit awkward, seeing her reaction, and angry that she had not yet praised _him_, who did all of the work. Yet he had to grin at this blatant and unashamed display of affection to the animals. Well, at least the old woman was happy. Sanosuke placed his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the tree. 

Finally, after a good deal more of all of that mushiness, Lin-san thanked Sanosuke profusely. 

"…I am utterly grateful," she said. 

"Sure thing, lady," Sanosuke said, smirking a little. He put an old fishbone between his teeth and began chewing on it. 

"Oh, and what did you say your name was again?" she asked. 

"Sanosuke Sagara," he replied. 

"Sanosuke Sagara," she mused. "Well, thank you _so much _for your help! Now I can tell everyone how this boy Sanosuke Sagara helped me get my cats from a really tall Sakura tree, how _brave _he was!" 

Sanosuke's jaw dropped, and the fishbone fell from his mouth. His stomach turned. This lady was going to tell the whole town about how he saved some _cats _from a Sakura tree! She was going to ruin his reputation! Kaoru and Yahiko would tease him for the rest of his human life, and Kenshin too! The whole town would-

"No, lady, please don't do that you don't have to do that-" he began, face going white. 

Lin-san's face brightened. She seemed not to notice that his face was turning pale. 

"Oh, and such a modest boy, too!" she replied cheerily. She patted him on the shoulder. "You don't worry-" Sanosuke breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll tell _everyone in Tokyo _about your good deed, and I'll make _certain _you get rewarded for it." 

Sanosuke fell down anime-style. His head was spinning. His life was over…

And how did this start?

He lost his coat.

__

He lost his coat.

HE LOST HIS COAT!

He needed to find that coat… he needed to find it, and he needed to find it soon. And whoever stole it…

…Was going to pay. 

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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Tee-he-he. Who stole the coat? We wonder, we wonder, who stole the coat? (Commences singing the Stolen Coat Song ^_^) Oh Sanosuke is going to try so hard to kill me for this! ^_^Well, everyone, I hope you're enjoying it. Keep on reading this hearty happy comedy!

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	3. Chapter 3

Sentiments of **gip-k: **-Well, so far, so good. I'm having a ton of fun giving Sanosuke a miserable life. ^_^ And the question: **who stole his coat?** Just keep reading to find out. And to the disclaimer, we go! ^_^

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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but I do own these fanfictions. Not to make financial profit from them, but to make emotional profit and to gain experience in writing. That would be it. ^_^ Oh and I do reserve the right to torture Sanosuke. ^_~

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---Sanosuke's Lost Coat: Chapter 3---

From that point on, all Sanosuke ever did was search for his coat. Meanwhile, people had begun treating him differently… a _lot _differently. On every street corner they were saying:

"Hey, Sano, how are you doing today?"

"Hello, Mr. Sagara! Heard you saved Lin-san's cats! That's really noble of you." 

"Hey, Sanosuke, can you spare a few minutes here? I need some help with this thing here…"

At first, Sanosuke had been very happy to help them, and proud that he was "popular". But it was a form of popular that he preferred not to have. 

His friends gave him strange looks, directing teasing comments at him at every corner by which he passed. Other barkeepers, who knew him and had despised him in the past, now became his best friends, giving him free drinks and talking to him as if they'd known him for years. No one ever seemed to want to pick a fight with him anymore, only stare at him with gruff distaste and perhaps a tad bit of respect. 

Oh and the people housed in the Kamiya Dojo? He avoided them _completely_. There was absolutely no telling what they'd say, since there was not a doubt in his mind that they'd heard the rumors, he was not prepared to take their torture. 

All the while he was doing all of these favors, his sanity was being marred, as well as his "reputation". Sure, he wasn't a really _bad _guy, but he didn't want to be known as a good guy either. He had liked it before when people like Tae, the Akebeko woman, had been antagonizing with him. It was fun to tease them. Now they half threw themselves at him and the ones that did seemed to always be the fat ugly ones. Of course, Tae probably would not do that in a million years, but he did not _dare _visit Tae, because she was Kaoru's friend. Right now, Kaoru was his greatest enemy. He had never been scared of anything, but right now he was definitely afraid of an encounter with Kaoru. 

Sanosuke was losing his wits over this issue- he had to find that coat, and he had to find it _immediately. _All the people in town were driving him crazy. Hell, _they _were crazy!

Sanosuke was stalking through the city, glaring through and _at _everything, when he crashed into a beautiful young raven-haired lady. 

Who just happened to be named Kaoru Kamiya. 

"Hey, watch where you're going you little-!" Kaoru's eyes widened when she noticed it was Sanosuke. "Oh, hi Sano! I'm _so_ sorry! Are you all r -? Hey, where are you going? _Sano!_ "

Sanosuke had taken off running once he had recognized that woman, and was not going to turn back for anything. He rushed down an ally way, and felt a hand grab his arm. 

"Hey -! What -?" Sanosuke turned to face the person who had grabbed him. He was soon staring into the face of one of his good old friends, Katsu. 

"Hey, you almost knocked me down, you big jerk," Katsu said, amusement sparkling in his dark green eyes. "Who were you running from, anyway?" Katsu looked down the ally. He saw Kaoru running pasts before Sanosuke could jerk him back around.

"Hey, isn't that one of your friends?" 

"Yeah, idiot!" Sanosuke retorted a bit icily. "Do you mind letting me go?" 

Katsu let him go, _tsking_ softly. 

"And you say I'm moody," Katsu replied. He did let Sanosuke go, though, despite his words. 

Sanosuke put his hands in his pockets. 

"So why are you running from her," Katsu said, lighting a cigarette. It was hardly the tone one would use for a question. 

Sanosuke sighed. 

"You'd better not ****ing laugh or you're going to get my fist in your mouth for lunch," Sanosuke said seriously. 

Katsu chuckled. 

"It's hardly lunch time, Sano." He replied. 

Sanosuke could have laughed, were the situation not so serious. He let out another sigh. 

"Oh, say, what happened to your coat?" Katsu asked, puffing out little circles of smoke. 

"That's exactly the problem!" Sanosuke said angrily. 

"You're missing coat?" 

"Yeah," Sanosuke replied gruffly. "Everyone's been treating me too nicely since I lost that coat. It makes my skin creep. An old lady asked me to get her cats out of a tree a couple days ago!"

Katsu chuckled again. 

"Haha, I heard that story," Katsu replied, an amused grin making its way unto his face. "Very noble of you, Sanosuke."

"Don't say that again."

"People have been treating you different ever since you stopped fighting, Sano," Tsunan said, puffing more smoke out of his cigarette. "This is no different." 

"You don't get it- it is," Sanosuke replied. "As I said before it is really freaky."

"What's different?" Katsu asked. He looked at Sanosuke, grinning. "And that still doesn't answer my question about the Kamiya girl." 

"Katsu you're such a big idiot, and a pain in the @$$ too," Sanosuke replied. He had to grin, though. 

"That's my job," Katsu said, grinning back. "So as I was previously saying, what's so different?"

"I've been getting drinks for _free!_ And the ladies are _happy _to give them! People have been… _congratulating _me on my _good deeds._ Does that sound very much like me to you?"

"You're a good man, Sanosuke," Katsu replied simply. "You do lots of good things. You might be sort of a cheapskate, but other than that you're a good person. So you're telling me you like being known as a cheapskate?"

Sanosuke grimaced. 

"I suppose so," he replied.

"And the Kamiya woman says that about you the most, correct? And what about that Akebeko lady?" Katsu replied. He through his cigarette on the ground, and stamped it out. 

"I've been avoiding them," Sanosuke said seriously.

"You're hilarious, Sano," Katsu said. "You're running from two women because you're afraid of being teased."

"I am _not _afraid!" Sano replied.

"Are too."

"Am _not!_" 

"If you're not why are you running?"

"Why don't you start going to visit them instead if you love them so much!" Sanosuke retorted angrily. 

Katsu grinned even more widely, and Sanosuke really began considering hitting the man. 

"Listen carefully, Sano," Katsu replied. "I'm thinking that you're exaggerating this circumstances by far. Your coat meant a lot to you, and you simply feel incomplete without it. So get the coat back, and everything will be fine." 

"Thanks, Doctor," Sanosuke said, dryly. But he knew Katsu was right, and so he calmed down. The picture in his mind of punching Katsu squarely in the jaw was starting to dissipate. 

"Your welcome," Katsu replied in a voice that could almost be called cheerful. "So your main priority is to find this coat, or have another one made. I think the original is of much sentimental value to you. So whoever stole it, you'll just have to hunt them down and find them."

Sanosuke decided to leave out the fact that he'd already searched all throughout Tokyo, and he had not yet found it. 

"Thanks, friend," was all he said instead. 

"Your welcome," Katsu replied with a small smile. "Take care of yourself, Sano."

"Always do," Sanosuke replied with a small smile. "See 'ya later, Katsu."

With that, the two parted. Sanosuke began walking out the ally way. He thought he heard very loud laughter coming from the other end. He growled. That idiot Katsu! 

Well, he was his friend. He was certain that no matter how funny he found the situation, he wouldn't actually try to make it worse. Or so Sanosuke hoped.

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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -It just keeps getting better… I hope. -_- Have I been living up to the humor genre on this one? I surely hope so! ^_^ Well, now unto the last chapter. Don't forget to leave me a review. ^_^

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	4. Chapter 4

Sentiments of **gip-k: **-Heyo, everyone, welcome to the last chapter! ^_^ I surely hope it's been enjoyable for you all so far… really, it took me WAYY too long to post this up, I know your feelings, dear fans! Please don't kill me for it, though. And now, finally, the final chapter 4. (Crosses fingers)

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Disclaimer: As I have said countless times in the past, **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.** Please, if I owned it, I'd be a very rich young lady, and there would be little reason for me to write this fanfictions. I would write bonus chapters to the manga. If I was creator and owner, that would be, but I'm neither. 

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---Sanosuke's Lost Coat: Chapter 4---

"_I just want to find my coat!_" Sanosuke cried out in the middle of a park in Tokyo. Birds hastily flew away at the sound of his startlingly loud voice, and heads of people swiveled around to peer at him with wide eyes. Children clutched to their mothers skirts, and the mothers hugged them close, crooning soothing words to them, while at the same time regarding _him_ with disapproving stares. Sanosuke could care less about what they thought. The absence of his coat was ruining him. 

"Hey, is that you Mr. Sagara?" A man asked, eyes lighting up with recognition. "I see you haven't been having a nice day. Anything I can do to help?"

"No," Sanosuke replied icily, glaring the man down to silence. Then he stalked off down the road that led to the main town, nearly knocking people down in the process. 

He was in another of his dull moods. His stomach growled loudly, but he quelled his hunger. He didn't exactly feel like eating. Sanosuke put his hands in his pockets, and glared at everything while he walked. He dragged an old fishbone out of his pocket and began chewing on it. The little turd that stole his coat would pay… pay dearly. Once he found him, he certainly would. 

Sanosuke, as always, kept his eyes sharp and on the lookout for any sign of anyone suspicious. His frustration and evident hunger, however, kept him from being able to think very clearly. 

Then, as he was walking, cursing with each painful footstep, he saw a flash of white darting right past him…

He turned around with incredible speed and reflexes and grabbed. 

He caught a handful of white coat. 

Sanosuke did not bother to look at the words on the back, or exactly who he'd just grabbed. He just lifted him high in the air, teeth bared with pure anger. The person seemed light, so he freed his right arm, clenching it into a fist.

"Okay, Sanosuke said. He brought his arm back. "If you don't tell me right now-"

The wide blue eyes filled with fright, and the small face was pale. Then all of the sudden, at that moment, the face broke into a smile, and color immediately returned.

"Oi! It's you, Mr. Sagara!" 

Sanosuke blinked a few times, and suddenly his eyes re-focused, and he took a real look at the person he was holding up so high in the air. 

He was just a small boy, with soft, thin brown hair, and almost babyish features, marked by the overly large azure orbs that took so much space up in his face, and the small face that had broken into a tentative smile. He couldn't have been more than a fifth of Sanosuke's size, if even that, and if he had hit the boy… Sanosuke blinked again. He saw at that moment, that the boy also had a bandana tied around his head, a literal raggedy orange version of Sanosuke's. 

Sanosuke dropped his fist, but didn't dare put the boy down. 

"Who exactly are you?" Sanosuke asked, confused. 

"I'm Locke Mitsuishi, son of-"

"I don't have time for the long intros, kiddo, so why don't you cut to the chase?" Sanosuke asked, growling slightly. "Where'd you get that coat from?"

"Oh!" the boy said, face cheering even more. He positively beamed. "Miss Tae's assistant, little Tsubame, made it for me!" 

Sanosuke's eyes widened, and he swore. The boy put on an artificial look of disdain upon hearing Sanosuke's use of language, but he ignored that, of course.

"What -? _Tsubame_ made that for you?" he asked incredulously. What? 

"Hai!" the boy replied excitedly. "I told her what words to write on the back, too. She wrote down 'Professional' on it! Do you think that I am professional, like my father, Mr. Sagara?"

Sanosuke fully ignored the question, for he was still in shock. He set the boy down, whom indeed, had to lift his head a great deal to look up at Sanosuke. He looked over the coat. It indeed, _was _an exact replica of Sanosuke's, other than the word on the back being changed. The boy looked very prideful.

"It looks nice on me, don't it, Mr. Sagara?" the small boy said, grinning.

Tsubame did make a good copy, but that was beyond the point. Sanosuke was going to go to the Akebeko right that moment, and he was going to set some things straight with that girl.

"Yeah, sure it does kiddo," Sanosuke said absently. Then he turned down the corner and ran. 

"You're not a very polite man, Mr. Sagara!" the boy cried after him, artificial disdain in his voice. 

* * *

Sanosuke reached the Akebeko in minutes, on account of how quickly he was running. When he got there, there was the little cute girly-girl there, handing out another replica of Sanosuke's coat to a blond-haired, green-eyed boy, who paid her generously for it. 

"Thank you, Toyou!" Tsubame said, a shy smile displaying itself on her face. The boy winked at her as he walked off in his new coat, and she looked down, blushing. 

"Hi, Tsubame!" he said that obviously very loudly, purposely startling the girl. She instantly went pale, but when she saw it was only he, she smiled.

"Hi-"

At that very moment the first syllable was gone for her lips, he had rounded on her, standing over her threateningly. She tried to turn and run, but he had her backed in a corner. She brought a hand to her mouth to hold in a scream. 

"Please, Mr. Sagara-" she squeaked in a very frightened, innocent voice when Sanosuke grabbed her arm. "You're hurting me!" 

"You deserve to be hurt, _you little thief!_" Sanosuke emphasized the last words. He growled. "Where is my coat?" he demanded. 

Some of the fear drained from her face, and she spoke in a very quiet voice. 

"Is that all you want?"

"Yes, dang it, it's all I want you!" he said irritably. "Now tell me where it is before I drown you in your favorite well back outside!" 

At that moment, Tae appeared from inside the Akebeko. 

"Sanosuke Sagara, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. 

"She's got my coat!" Sanosuke was in such a flurry he barely got the words out. 

"I didn't mean to make you so angry, Mr. Sagara," Tsubame interrupted in a shaky voice. When he turned back to her, she let out a squeak, and continued in a mouse-like voice, her eyes studying the ground. "I only wanted to borrow it for a few moments."

"_Moments?_" Sanosuke said, voice full of utter disbelief. "That was more like days!" 

"Stop this now or I'll call the police," Tae interrupted. 

"It's all right, Miss Tae," Tsubame said. "Um, follow me, Mr. Sagara," Tsubame said, finally managing to put on a smile- but a very, very thin one indeed. 

Sanosuke dared to let the little girl go, and she walked ahead of him at a very controlled pace. Sanosuke was surprised- he thought that he would have had to half dart after her. 

They walked through the Akebeko restaurant, and behind the bar, where there was a series of small storage rooms. In them were also some things for Tsubame. A sewing can set atop some crates of tofu, and some material stored in a small chest were among them, as well as a small rocking chair for her to sit in. 

Finally, deeper in the storage rooms, Tsubame had to light a small lamp. Sanosuke looked attentively. Finally, the light fell on a neat folded white jacket. Tsubame set her lamp down, and then carefully picked up the jacket… _very _carefully, and then held it out to Sanosuke with a cheerful smile. 

"Here you are, Mr. Sagara, here is your jacket," she spoke in happy, high-pitched tones. 

Sanosuke blinked a couple of times in pure disbelief. Then he, numb with shock, squatted way down to Tsubame's height, and simply looked at the jacket for a moment. 

It was in perfect condition… no, actually, in _better_ condition than when he had had it. Sanosuke took it from her an examined it. All of the few small holes in it had been sewn up, and it had been ironed and neatly folded. 

"You took care of it for me," Sanosuke mused. 

"Aren't you going to put it on?" Tae asked teasingly. 

Something snapped in Sanosuke's brain, and he hurriedly put his arms in the jacket and shrugged into it. 

"I'm sorry again for taking your coat, Mr. Sagara-"

"Remember I've told you to call me Sano," Sanosuke said with a wry grin. 

Tsubame's large eyes widened.

"You're not angry at me anymore?" she asked in disbelief. 

"Nope, you took good care of this jacket for me," Sanosuke said with a wide grin. "And it sure is great to have it back on!" He inhaled, and even did a few punches in his jacket. Yes, it was _excellent. _This jacket was definitely a part of him. 

But somehow, underneath it all, he didn't exactly feel any _better. _He felt, _right_ but not any more intimidating, or with some drastic personality change. He was simply at ease again. 

"Well, let's get out of this old musty storage room," Tae said, exchanging smiles with Sano. "Want a drink? You haven't been here in eons, I would think."

"Is it free?"

Tae rolled her eyes. 

"You haven't changed, have you? Oh, all right!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "What's new, anyway? Come on out. Hurry now, before I change my mind!" she added teasingly. 

Sanosuke darted out after her, with Tsubame not too far behind. Suddenly, Sanosuke turned around, suddenly remembering something. Tsubame stopped in her tracks, and peered up at him, her eyes widening again with a sudden return of fear. 

"S- something wrong?" she asked. 

"Yes," he replied. "How'd you manage to get in my room and 'borrow' my coat, anyway?" 

"Well…" Tsubame blushed, and looked down to the ground. "I just was very, _very _quiet-" she emphasized the quiet with a low voice. "-And then I saw the coat on your table, and I just took it."

Sanosuke fell down anime-style. Tsubame's eyes widened.

"Sano!"

"Ouch…" Sanosuke said. "That's bad. If a little girl can bust into my apartments without my knowing, I think I need to work on that."

Tsubame giggled.

"Um, Tae is in the kitchen waiting-"

Sanosuke literally jumped up and broke off into a run, and Tsubame giggled again, and hurried after him. 

So after a good drink, Sanosuke was good to go. He walked down the Tokyo streets with a spring in his step. This time, nothing bothered him. He helped another lady with her cats, and when a little boy tripped, he helped him up, laughing and ruffling his hair. 

So Sanosuke learned something… despite the "bad" symbol on his back, he was _happy _to do these good things for these nice Tokyo people who he liked so much. When he went to visit Kaoru in the dojo, he shared his fun story, and he also was nice to the dojo people, too. Though he didn't help Kaoru with the dishes or anything like that, he did make her laugh when she was looking down that day. So he supposed he was a fair good guy. 

"And they like me that way," Sanosuke said, grinning to himself as he walked home that day. 

So, indeed, Sanosuke learned a lesson, and everything went perfectly fine. Until…

"Where is my headband?" 

… … … 

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The End

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gip-k's Post Chapter/Story Statements: -It's done! I surely hope everyone enjoyed that. **Thanks to all of you who decide to read this story. ^_^ **I appreciate all of your reviews, so please don't forget to leave me one. So it's "cheerio" until the next episode! ^___^

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